1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an underseat storage arrangement. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus providing access to an underseat storage area. The apparatus may also fold out to provide a work surface preferably in the back seat of an extended cab pick-up.
2. Discussion
Today, many business people spend a great deal of time traveling in and transacting business from a motor vehicle. These persons frequently have meetings and offices remote of their vehicle during the workday or may conduct business from the vehicle during the day. Such conditions of working from a vehicle during the day necessitate access to files, tools, and perhaps notebook computers. There is a need for a business person to be able to easily transport and access such common business tools preferably in a stored and organized manner allowing the business person to readily locate all the items and perform business operations in a professional manner.
A limitation exists in the use of some utility motor vehicles, including light duty trucks, where there is a lack of controlled or organized storage space for such business items. The increasingly wide spread use of light duty, open load pickup trucks by tradesman as well as for personal transportation has increased the need for improvement in storage space in such vehicles where a preference is to store such valuable goods in an enclosed area other than in the open load bed or box of such vehicles.
Newly designed pickup trucks are provided with a second, or passenger door and passenger seat arrangement. This modern second seat design provides an advantageous and additional area for storage and work place stations for use by the modern business man.
Previous storage enclosures for pickup trucks include tool boxes for placement in open load bed motor vehicles such is that described by U.S. Pat. No. 5,564,776 to Schlachter issued Oct. 15, 1996 and entitled xe2x80x9cStorage Enclosure for Open Loadbed Motor Vehicle.xe2x80x9d Schlachter teaches an after market tool box loaded within the truck bed and easily accessible by a user when the tailgate of the truck bed is in an open position. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,669,537 to Saleem et al. issued Sep. 23, 1997 and entitled xe2x80x9cPortable Multi-Position Vehicle Storage Unitxe2x80x9d teaches an after market unit available for use in the rear storage area such as a trunk in a sedan type vehicle or the area behind the seats in the passenger compartment of a van, jeep or hatchback type vehicle. This portable multi-position vehicle storage unit provides vertical walls defining cargo space for supporting and transporting items. Additionally, U.S. Pat. No. 6,120,234 to Dinverno issued Sep. 19, 2000 and entitled xe2x80x9cVan-Mounted Service Carts for Skilled Tradesmen and Ramp Mechanisms for Use with the Samexe2x80x9d teaches a moveable service cart that may be transported within the bed of a pickup or van and includes a ramp system for removing the service cart from the vehicle.
Other popular designs provide portable desks for use within a motor vehicle. These designs generally teach an after market portable desk for use preferably within the passenger seat of a vehicle. These desks are secured to the passenger seat via the passenger seat belt and employ a locking arrangement similar to a child safety seat. U.S. Pat. No. 5,628,439 to O""Hara issued May 13, 1997 and entitled xe2x80x9cPortable Desk and File Holder for Use in a Seat is a typical example of these after market work stations. O""Hara teaches a portable desk and cooperative file folder holder that may be purchased by a user to secure work items in a passenger seat during travel time.
Other examples of after market desks for use in a motor vehicle may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,560,676 to Griffith et al. issued Oct. 1, 1996 and entitled xe2x80x9cDesk for Use in Vehiclexe2x80x9d and U.S. Pat. No. 5,973,917 to White issued Oct. 26, 1999 entitled xe2x80x9cPortable Motor Vehicle Work Station.xe2x80x9d A disadvantage of these work stations is that they are portable and must be secured within the motor vehicle by a safety restraint system. As such, these units may move, vibrate, squeak or rattle during vehicle operation. Further, these work stations do not provide enough storage space for the inclusion of valuable tools or electronics. Thus, these valuables may not be hidden from public viewing and maybe susceptible to theft. Further, exterior truck storage such as that described by Dinverno and Schlachter do not allow for storage of sophisticated appliances such as telephones, computers, and GPS Navigation systems where cold air may damage the battery life of the appliance.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a storage enclosure for a motor vehicle within the interior of the motor vehicle. Such storage enclosures serves to hide items thus deterring theft. Further, because the storage space is in the interior of the vehicle it is advantageous to store electronic items and other sophisticated tooling rather than to store such items in the exterior of a truck bed. It is another object of the invention to provide a work station that defines the top portion of the enclosed storage area. This top work surface is pivotally attached to the upper area of the storage enclosure and provides access to the enclosed interior volume of the area.
It is another object of this invention to provide a trifurcated work station. The work surface area that provides a top to the interior storage unit may be fully unfolded to provide an extended work surface area by a user. Thus, the present invention provides a storage area with pivotable cover. When the storage area is covered, the closure may form a supportive platform for use as a work station. This work station provides a flat surface area and includes a holding compartment that nests within the flat surface area. The support platform may by pivoted to allow access to the storage enclosure.
Additionally, the support platform is trifurcated and may be pivoted into an extended generally horizontal position to provide a portable work station. In a preferred form of the present invention, the trifurcated support platform is formed of a base, a mid-section and a support leg. The base forms the top to the storage enclosure and is pivotally connected to one edge of the storage enclosure to allow for opening and closing of the storage enclosure top. The base thus acts as a top to the storage enclosure while supporting the mid section and support leg of the trifurcated portable work station. The mid-section is pivotally connected to the base opposite the base pivotal connection to the storage enclosure. Thus the mid-section pivots open for extension to form the portable work station in a manner opposite to the base pivot. The mid-section forms a smooth surface that may be used as a writing table, for example, when the base is in a closed position and forming the top of the storage enclosure.
The support leg is pivotally connected to the mid-section opposite the base and forms a surface portion nested within the mid-section of the work station platform. Preferably the support leg provides an indented surface area for seating such items that may have a tendency to roll.
The mid-section includes a handle for pivoting the trifurcated platform from the generally horizontal position wherein all three sections form a top to the storage area to an extended horizontal position forming an extended work station area. When the trifurcated platform is in the extended general horizontal position, the base continues to act as a top to the storage enclosure. The base and mid-section act as a work station area while the support leg extends generally vertically from the mid-section downward towards the floor of the motor vehicle and supports the work station platform in an extended generally horizontal position.
The storage area with work station is preferably provided within the interior of a motor vehicle under the rear seat of an extended cab pickup. In this instance, the rear seat bottom portion is folded upwardly toward a seat back portion thus exposing a storage enclosure defined by a wall portion extending between the floor of the vehicle and the seat bottom when the seat bottom portion is not in a folded position. The work station is stored in a folded, nested position, and acts as a top to the storage enclosure. As such, the storage enclosure with the work station of the present invention provides interior storage and an interior work station for use by the vehicle owner.
Additional benefits and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains from reading the subsequent description of the preferred embodiment in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.